Grants help transform kids’ education

Grants help transform kids’ education

Nov 13, 2026 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Literacy, Service projects | 0 comments

Four clubs on four continents will help kids learn and grow in new ways. 

作者：艾琳・錢德勒

In August, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded 22 club grants to support outstanding Kiwanis club projects on four continents. The following four projects — one from each region — show how Kiwanians can transform kids’ education. By making reading a fun event, organizing a trip that expands horizons, introducing kids to art and creativity, and providing a space for specialized learning, these projects turn students into lifelong learners. 

Dr. Seuss Reading Day
The Kiwanis Club of Carrollton, Georgia, U.S.
Each year in March, around 50 volunteers from the Kiwanis Club of Carrollton and the community visit local schools to throw a birthday party for Dr. Seuss, author of classic children’s books such as “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham.” The volunteers choose a Dr. Seuss book to read to or alongside the students, then talk with them about the importance of reading, both in school and at home with family members. With help from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant, every student will then take home a copy of the book. This festive spin on story time gets kids excited about reading. 

Belgium Week for Children and Young People with Disabilities
Kiwanis Club of Innsbruck, Austria
Each year, local Kiwanis clubs take children from two special-needs schools in the Lienz district of Austria on a trip to Belgium. There is a lack of enrichment opportunities for children with disabilities in the area, and families and schools struggle to fund them on their own. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant helped fund this year’s trip for 18 students, who spent a week cycling, swimming, hiking, doing gymnastics and pottery, completing a high ropes course and participating in group games. The trip gives students an opportunity to develop their athletic and creative skills, but it also builds their confidence and communication skills — which help them cope with challenges, feel a sense of belonging and form friendships through shared activities.  

Art That Transforms
Kiwanis Club of Katías, Colombia
The Kiwanis Club of Katías has a history of visiting remote schools to deliver programs on nutrition, recreation, leadership and values. Now they are working with Andes Pinta, an organization that has developed art initiatives in urban areas, to bring art education to 10 rural schools without easy access to artistic and cultural programs. Art That Transforms, which has the support of the Department of Education and local teachers, will bring Kiwanis volunteers to teach a variety of painting and drawing techniques in three-month cycles and follow-up sessions over the course of two years. The club hopes that hundreds of students will develop new artistic skills — and with them, their self-expression and creativity. The program will culminate in an art exhibition in an urban center of the Andes, where communities, families and the students themselves will see their creations displayed. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will help pay for art and educational supplies, transportation and costs associated with mounting the exhibition. 

Sensory Room Phase 2: Advanced Multisensory Integration
Kiwanis Club of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Kiwanis Club of Kuala Lumpur is stepping up to help expand services offered by the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation National Centre. Over 40% of the children who receive educational and physical therapy services at the Centre also face sensory processing challenges. The Centre’s new sensory room was built to address these needs — but it still needed specialized therapeutic tools recommended by a team of caregivers and experts who work closely with the children at the Centre. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help purchase items that help children with visual tracking, tactile defensiveness and emotional self-regulation. With a hammock swing, sensory liquid-gel number tiles, a padded sequin wall panel, crash pad, infinity mirror, infinity tunnel and projector, 100 students will be better prepared for future school integration. 

More club grant projects
Other projects that received club grants in August include:    

  • Library renovations from the Kiwanis Clubs of Domodossola, Italy, and North Manchester, Indiana, U.S. 
  • A socio-emotional education program from the Kiwanis Club of Bucaramanga, Colombia 
  • A story time and book giveaway from the Kiwanis Club of La Palma, California, U.S. 
  • A school supply drive from the Kiwanis Club of Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. 
  • A community garden from the Kiwanis Club of Rogers City, Michigan, U.S. 
  • The “Feed. Fuel. Teach.” nutrition initiative from the Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area, North Carolina, U.S. 
  • A middle school track and field event from the Kiwanis Club de Amigos, Tucson, Arizona, U.S. 
  • Meal packing events from the Kiwanis clubs of the Azaela City, Palatka, Florida, U.S., and Presque Isle, Maine, U.S. 
  • A winter clothing giveaway for local students from the Kiwanis Club of Joplin, Missouri, U.S. 
  • A food delivery and health education program from the Kiwanis Club of Acacías-Meta, Colombia 
  • Personal care and hygiene kits for students from the Kiwanis Club of Dexter-Sunrise, Maine, U.S. 
  • New or revitalized parks and playgrounds from the Kiwanis Club of Lakeshore, Sault St. Marie, Ontario, Canada; and in the U.S. from the Kiwanis Clubs of Pawleys Island, South Carolina; Redmond, Oregon; Garden City, Michigan; and Henderson Center, Eureka, California.  

How you can help
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund makes grants that improve the lives of children around the world by identifying projects that create a continuum of impact in a child’s life — one that spans their entire childhood and sets them up for a bright future. With gifts to The Kiwanis Possibility Project, the Children’s Fund ensures that its grantmaking has the greatest possible impact, supporting projects that target the Kiwanis causes — health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development — whether through a Kiwanis club’s local service project or a club’s partner. 

Learn how your club can apply for a grant to help kids in your community. If you are interested in extending your and your club’s impact beyond your community, support The Kiwanis Possibility Project.   

8 ways to help kids love reading

8 ways to help kids love reading

Nov 13, 2026 | General interest, Literacy, Service projects | 0 comments

With local partners and a few ideas, your club can support literacy.

By Destiny Cherry 

Education and literacy represent one of Kiwanis International’s three causes. Looking for ways your club can support kids’ love for reading? Here are eight ideas to do it through service, fundraising and community partnership: 

  1. Read to children at a local library, children’s hospital or school. In addition to serving kids, it’s a way to build connections with organizations in your community. Host story time at your local library, read to kids in after-school programs and during designated class times, or read to young patients in a children’s hospital. If you have multilingual club members, diversify your reading languages for kids who are multilingual or learning a new language.  
  2. Tutor at schools in your area. When you partner with schools, your club gains access to students across age groups and academic levels. While high school tutors usually require subject-specific knowledge or more advanced educational experience, elementary and lower middle-grade levels are more flexible and do not typically require college degrees. Depending on the school and the instructor’s comfort levels, tutoring can take place in a variety of settings — whether it’s during class time, after school or even as summer-school service.  
  3. Hold a book drive. Your club can host the event at a community-centered location, offering snacks and drinks during your hours of operation — and even provide Kiwanis-branded items to keep your club in people’s minds. Promote the donation of books that reflect a range of races, ethnicities, religions and languages. Distribute the books to multiple locations — or partner with a single location for the event and donate the books there at the end of the drive.  
  4. Start and fill a Little Free Library. A Kiwanis International partner, Little Free Library expands access to books through free, accessible exchange. In your community, it’s a visible testament to the club’s commitment to education and literacy.  
  5. Conduct a reading challenge on social media. Whether it’s on your club’s social media accounts or on a town/community account, a challenge could take a variety of forms. One idea: The first family to read 50 books and submit the reviews of each book as evidence are the winners. Another idea: Provide a bingo card of reading-related tasks — such as reading in a park or checking out a library book — that a family would fill out and then submit with a photo of each activity. Add book-related prizes or bookstore gift cards as incentives. 
  6. Create reading kits for kids. Here’s a way to get all club membes involved in a service project. Reading kits require only a few supplies — colored paper, markers, pencils, glue sticks and scissors — with different members contributing different supplies. One idea: A member creates a background, leaving space for a child to fill in characters and continue the story. After creating the kits, take them to a children’s hospital or to a library for story time — and complete the stories alongside the kids. Include handmade  bookmarks to add some flair. 
  7. Fundraising for e-readers. With a built-in dictionary, translators, audiobook capabilities and easy access to books, e-readers have been an increasingly useful way to help children who struggle with reading. But they’re not always available in large quantities to libraries, schools, hospitals and childcare centers. Raising money for one (or all) of these organizations can allow kids who are falling behind to bridge the gap with their peers. Don’t forget our five fundraising fundamentals!  
  8. Sponsor a “literacy corner.” Approach local businesses about putting a club-sponsored “literacy corner” in their locations. It can be as simple as a bookshelf, basket or small table with children’s books and learning games in the corner of a coffee shop, diner, barber shop/salon, laundromat or local retail store. Your club can take responsibility for accumulating the items while the business oversees the maintenance and cleanliness of the corner. Hold a fundraiser for the corner or conduct a drive for books and games. The business could also encourage customers to bring in lightly used books or games.  

More tips and ideas
There’s no better source of inspiration than real success. Check out some past success stories from the Kiwanis family. And get more tips for promoting literacy. 

CKI 的贊助對基瓦尼會會員和學生而言是雙贏的局面

CKI 的贊助對基瓦尼會會員和學生而言是雙贏的局面

2026年11月9日|社團大樓、一般興趣、服務領導計畫| 0 則留言

加拿大成立了一個新的 CKI 俱樂部 為基瓦尼會員及社區 援助之手，惠及基瓦尼會員及社區。

作者：Julie Saetre 

Deanna Fisher was in a perfect position to facilitate the launch of a new Circle K International (CKI) club. CKI is the Kiwanis Service Leadership Program for college and university students — and Fisher had been charter president of the CKI club at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. She remained a member for five years — becoming governor of the Eastern Canada District along the way — while she completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

大學畢業後，費雪加入了溫莎基瓦尼斯俱樂部。她持續支持 CKI——起初擔任 CKI 加拿大西部地區行政主管，現任 CKI 加拿大東部地區行政主管。她還發起了一場巡迴演講，向各基瓦尼斯俱樂部介紹贊助 CKI 俱樂部的益處。

安大略省薩尼亞市的「海路基瓦尼斯俱樂部」立即挺身而出。

「[成員們]說：『我們有資金，也有人力。我們看到溫莎大學的[CKI]學生取得了多大的成功，我們很希望能複製這樣的成果，』」費雪表示。「他們真的全力支持，於是我們成功獲得了特許。」

如今，蘭姆頓學院的 CKI 社團已成為該學區內最活躍的社團之一，不僅協助校內各項活動，還積極參與社區志工計畫，例如海灘清理活動。

不過，會員們也會協助其贊助俱樂部舉辦各式各樣的節慶活動及其他專案，包括在基瓦尼斯俱樂部的「兒童動物農場」提供服務。事實上，贊助所帶來的益處，讓費雪萌生了一些簡單卻有效的點子，用以提升會員參與度。

「邀請［CKI成員］參加［基瓦尼斯俱樂部］的會議，」她說。「讓他們做報告，帶他們參加活動。因為他們是額外的一雙手。他們是一群能力出眾、樂於助人的人。他們想推動自己的專案，但也希望獲得基瓦尼斯所提供的支持與指導。」 

培育未來的基瓦尼斯會員
正如費雪本人所證明的那樣，基瓦尼斯分會提供的實質性支持，最終能吸引新成員加入基瓦尼斯。她表示，關鍵在於即使在畢業之後，仍要保持持續的溝通。 

「這點真的很重要——不要讓他們中途被其他事情打斷，然後就再也沒跟他們說過話，」費雪補充道。「因為這是一段正在建立的關係。」

舉例來說，如果一位應屆畢業生即將搬遷至另一座城市，基瓦尼斯俱樂部可以在他搬遷後安排一場線上會議。即使該畢業生計畫花一年時間旅行，取得他的聯絡方式也能讓俱樂部在 12 個月後主動聯繫，了解近況。

「試著這樣說：『近來過得如何？雖然我們最近沒怎麼聯絡，但我們依然很希望你能加入我們的組織。有沒有什麼機會可以聊聊這個話題？我們很想知道你最近在忙什麼，』」費雪建議道。

「您越能培養這種關係，學生就越有可能加入基瓦尼斯。」 

了解更多
國際基瓦尼斯協會（Kiwanis International）提供了有關贊助好處的進一步詳情。請查閱關於 所有我們的言語治療師的相關資訊，以及他們各自網站的連結，並 觀看這段影片 ，了解如何以及為何要啟動貴分會的贊助計畫。